Abstract
Traditional Water Rights and the Use of GIS
Track: Community Projects and Partnerships
Author(s): Jorge Garcia, Judith van Der Elst, Amy Ballard, Heather Richards, James Maestas
Traditional water management systems, or acequias, have been used in New Mexico for over four centuries. Currently, these systems are under pressure due to water policy changes and adjudication processes, resulting in the potential loss of water rights. The loss of individual water rights can be detrimental to the system as a whole. To ensure continuation of acequias as water management and social organizational system, community leaders in New Mexico have initiated mapping efforts to inform, manage and protect these water rights. This s paper describes a participatory GIS project, a collaboration between community leaders, an NGO and local community college, through which community members receive training in geospatial technologies in order to create and maintain the community based GIS water management system. Through dialogue and collaboration novel ways of engaging community members in mapping efforts and dissemination of its results are explored and implemented.
Jorge Garcia
University of New Mexico
2500 Campus Blvd. NE-Suite 361
MSC02 1600 Hokona Zuni Hall 1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque , New Mexico 87105
United States
Phone: 505.277.7974
Fax: 505.277.2986
E-mail: atila@unm.edu
Judith van Der Elst
University of New Mexico
Department of Anthropology
Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131
United States
Phone: 15052665462
E-mail: jvdelst@unm.edu
Amy Ballard
Central New Mexico College
University Av.
Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131
United States
Phone: x
E-mail: aballard1@cnm.edu
Heather Richards
University of New Mexico, Dept. of Anthropology
1 University of New Mexico Campus
Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131
United States
Phone: xx
E-mail: heathmrr@hotmail.com
James Maestas
Regional South ValleyAcequia Association
South Valley
Albuquerque , New Mexico 87105
United States
Phone: xx
E-mail: maestasy@netzero.net